The comedic adventures of an introverted boy left on the doorstep of a pair of reluctant, eccentric great-uncles, whose exotic remembrances stir the boy's spirit and re-ignite the men's lives.
... Michael Caine is badly miscast in this movie. I didn't believe him for one second in that role.
– Richard Roeper,
Ebert & Roeper,
22 Sep 2003
rotten:
Of little interest to anyone except those who thought Air Bud was too smutty.
– Michael O'Sullivan,
Washington Post,
19 Sep 2003
rotten:
It's pretty appalling, and it's boring.
– Stephen Hunter,
Washington Post,
19 Sep 2003
rotten:
Secondhand Lions manages to squander the services of seasoned vets Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, and promising newcomer Haley Joel Osment, with a tale that is dramatically false and disturbingly vicious.
– Peter Howell,
Toronto Star,
19 Sep 2003
rotten:
Secondhand Lions is a movie you want to believe in -- original ideas, acclaimed actors -- but McCanlies uses too many broad strokes when subtlety and finesse would have had greater impact.